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Friday, December 30, 2011

As near as I can tell, polenta and corn mush are the same thing--just one is pretentious because it has an Italian name. I did a side-by-side using a tube of Trader Joes polenta and a tube of Yoders corn mush. The only difference is the polenta didn't mash quite as much when cooked in a skillet.

Unlike a museum in Atlanta which included maize in an Etruscan exhibit on polenta several years ago, I do know that the modern version of polenta was NOT used by the Etruscans since they didn't have corn (a New World food not introduced to Italy until 1650). The curators were kind of put off when corrected.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

I took a couple of days off between Christmas and New Years and have undertaken a Labor that would have made Hercules weep with fear--alphabetizing the library. This includes the integration of both of our rather extensive reading collections. So far Himself and I don't have a whole lot of duplicates, but as much room as I'm leaving in each section when shelving doesn't seem to be enough as I work my way through since I keep finding strays. This project is taking much of my processing power so blogging will be light.

We're gonna run out of shelf space long before I hit the 'W's. I'm betting 'M' will take whatever we've got left and I'm only at 'J'. BTW, we've got floor to ceiling shelving--turned a whole room into a library area and we still won't have enough space.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

One of Evyl Michael Robot's (TheHolsterSite.com) holsters is going to be a major prop on the series In Plain Sight. As an added bit o' cool, it's based on one owned by Old NFO. Since he is a professional, he's making it useable as well as camera-worthy, which is a lot harder than it sounds.

Michael made a custom thigh carry knife sheath for me several months ago* which is SWEEET (beautiful pale leather on one side and fushia suede on the other for when I want to be girly). He's also made a custom holster for Himself/Mr B as well as Tam, so the In Plain Sight folks are in good company.

I have been horribly remiss in not taking pictures and posting them because it is a fantastic sheath but wanted to pass on his good news!

We don't have cable anymore but I've got to figure out a way to see that episode!

So Argentina has 'nationalized' their newspapers. Big deal--at least everyone knows and acknowledges what they did. Our media and newspapers have been the willing tools of the government for years--hiding and just downright not reporting on issues, such as Obama's qualifications (or not) to be president, the John Edwards kerfluffle (had to be broken by the National Enquirer), Solyndra, Fast and Furious, the list goes on.... but they deny their culpability and complicity.

The MSM in the United States has failed in being a true Fourth Estate by becoming a lap dog to the political class instead of speaking truth to it. At this point there is no difference in the nationalized Argentine media and the unofficially nationalized US media.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Okay, it's a given, but Old NFO has a bunch of stuff pulled from Sen. Tom Coburn's Wastebook 2011. And I thought of this scene from the movie 'Dave' (embedding disabled so you'll have to follow the link). So why can't the government catch a clue or figure out that all of these things are outside of the purview of the federal government and let them go??

Monday, December 19, 2011

Okay, I'm not what one would call a football fan. I'll watch a game if it's on, I know the rules, etc., but haven't been caught up in the game since 'Da Superbowl Shuffle' of 1984. But apparently last night the New England Patriots, led by Tom Brady, beat the Broncos, led by Tim Tebow. And apparently to some folks this is a judgement from heaven. I don't know Tim Tebow but I'd have to be hiding under a rock not to know that his displays of faith are causing some folks considering consternation for some reason.

So, to the point. A friend of mine posted something on facebook about how she was glad that the Pats won and that maybe Tebow should concentrate on gaining yardage rather than interfering in people's lives (I'm paraphrasing). To which I replied something along the line of I don't think what he's doing is all that bad. So the angry reply is that what he's doing is that bad because he's the spokesman for a group that says that my friend is going to hell (this person is gay).

I did some googling and yahooing and Tim Tebow and his mom (or rather his mom and Tim Tebow) did a spot at last years' Superbowl regarding abortion (an anti-abortion commercial) that was paid for by a group called Focus on the Family. Now the commercial they did was not regarding gay folks or Focus on the Family's stance on gays. It was about abortion since Tebow is apparently only here because his mom chose not to get one, despite a life-threatening infection that had her doctors recommending one due to the medication needed to cure her.

I could not find anything where Tebow had spouted anti-gay or even anti-gay marriage messages. I could not find anything that said that Tebow was actually a spokesman for Focus on the Family--not in any interviews and not on their website. The only links I could find were headlines that called Tebow a spokesman for the group referencing that commercial. But there was nothing else and no interaction (at least that I could find) between Tebow and Focus on the Family other than the one anti-abortion commercial almost a year ago.

Using deductive reasoning, an art apparently lost on the liberal side of humanity who chooses emotion over facts, it seems to me that Tebow isn't a spokesman for that group. The commercial he did was on one issue. There are many folks that associate with groups with whom they do not wholly share their agenda. By saying that Tebow is anti-gay, without any proof, because of one anti-abortion commercial is like saying that Michael Jordan is pro-sweatshop because he was a paid spokesman for Nike. And because I can't put any of this on facebook (don't know why I said anything in the first place), you get to see it here.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Another company has pulled its advertising from the show: All-American Muslim. Kayak.com has pulled their advertisements because they looked at the show, versus what TLC told them it was going to be and decided 'the show sucked' and pulled their advertising. Nothing to do with bigotry or anything else, just use of their advertising dollars elsewhere.

To give kudos points for putting money in conjunction with one's mouth, Russell Simmons' company, Rush Card, has decided to buy up the advertising space left by Lowe's departure. A California State Dem, Ted Lieu, actually threatened Lowe's with 'legislative remedies' for not kowtowing to the PC line and leaving its advertising dollars in a television show that, despite its publicity, is declining in the ratings (and didn't start very well anyway).

As a poster on one the sites about this 'issue' said (my
apologies because I can't remember where I read it): There is nothing
in the First Amendment that says that people must financially support
someone else's speech, only that it must be allowed. Politicos like Ted Lieu have lost the plot on the role of government and threats of government intervention in a free speech marketplace.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Okay, so the whole Lowe's kerfluffle is starting to become part of a bigger picture now. Apparently the State Department is having a three day conference with various Islamic governments regarding free speech in America. Or as the State Department would have it, not-so-much free speech in America. Does it frighten anyone else when a representative of the United States government (Hannah Rosenthal) is quoted thusly:

The meeting is a great success, she said, because governments in the multinational Organisation for Islamic Cooperation have dropped their demand that criticism of Islamic ideas be treated as illegal defamation. Member countries include Pakistan, Iran, Saudia Arabia and Qatar.

So we are focused on promoting interfaith education and collaboration, enforcing antidiscrimination laws, protecting the rights of all people to worship as they choose, and to use some old-fashioned techniques of peer pressure and shaming, so that people don’t feel that they have the support to do what we abhor.

Of course she wouldn't refer to it as social engineering or suppression of free speech--especially the free speech of Americans to criticize whomever they feel is deserving of such criticism. But now we have the MSM, hip hop artists, and such trying to heap shame and pressure upon a corporation for merely pulling its advertising from a television show.

The fact that the State Department isn't telling these other governments to go pound sand is frightening in the extreme. They are letting them set terms and are happy when the citizens of this country, whose values they are supposed to be representing, are 'allowed' to remain intact. The fact that Clinton is an accessory to this abhorrence makes her no better than her master.

We are the United States of America and our Constitution is the basis for our rights. The fact that the government is trying daily, on several fronts, to undermine those rights means that they have reached the point of needing to be replaced. All of them. Shut it down. All of it.

The states can pick up the pieces as they should have been all along. Those states that made good choices will do well, the others will have to find reality and build themselves anew without help from the outside.

Me: Yep. Pretty sure they're overfed, but two of them are on the case. It ran into a room that I usually keep closed off in the winter but now I've opened the door so they can go for it.

Her: Well, the mouse should be taken care of soon then.

Me: Yeah, problem being that the circle of life thing generally happens under the kitchen table, right after they've chased it over my feet.

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Not sure why mice ook me out so badly. I can handle spiders (even big smiley ones), roach bugs, and most other household creepies. But can't handle mice. Best I can do is trap them under a glass and toss the whole enchilada into the yard. But I absolutely won't pick them up by the tail like Himself does.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Russell Simmons, a 'hip-hop mogul' is apparently incensed that Lowe's has decided to pull its advertising dollars from a show called 'All-American Muslim'. "There are American principles at stake here." Mr. Simmons cries to the world.

Actually he's kind of right, there is one American principle at stake here. Freedom. In this case, the freedom to put your money (or your corporation's money) where you best see fit. It's un-American to try to force someone into adopting your viewpoint--the basis of freedom, after all, are freedom of thought and freedom of conscience. Also, Mr. Simmons doesn't realize that not monetarily supporting something does not equal discrimination towards a particular cause. He's also rather myopic in his viewpoint.

Just as Jay-Z can make money from appropriating the slogan for a cause and NOT give any of that money to that cause, Lowe's can put its money where it wants. Mr. Simmons is free to make up those advertising dollars by putting his considerable fortune made through Def Jam into play, but I doubt he will.

For myself, my next home improvement purchases will be at Lowe's.

ETA: I just read this over at Popehat and Ken does have a point. Lowe's caved to one special interest group in pulling its ads from this show. That said, while the Florida Family Association takes things to the next illogical level, Dearborn, Michigan (where the television show takes place) is the hub of Muslim activity in the United States and there are allegations that Shariah law is becoming preeminent there.

Regardless of all of that, Lowe's can still put its money where it will, and I'll still be making my next home improvement purchase there.

So, the TSA took away an elderly woman's back brace because they thought it was a money belt. REALLY?? This was after they contended that all of their procedures were followed. They STILL say that they didn't strip search her. So riddle me this, how did they get the back brace off of her if they didn't take her clothes off? And why did they feel the need to take it when they thought it was a money belt?? Other older ladies at the same airport (JFK) have also contended that they were strip searched and TSA is still denying it.

Look, it only took three contentions of misdeeds to bring down Herman Cain's candidacy. Why can't it be the same for the TSA??

Sunday, December 11, 2011

According to this article in the Washington Examiner, a fascist concept (my words, not theirs) called AttackWatch has had absolutely no activity over the last three weeks. Hopefully Obama is just letting it fade away. Probably because of the below video which showed it as the terrible idea it was.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Made it down to the blogmeet today in Indy. We were fortunate enough to meet up with Brigid and Old NFO prior to the start of the meet and do some shopping for items that aren't commonly available in the Frozen Northlands from whence Mr. B and I hail. We hit Penzey's Spices and snagged such items as Orange Extract and Sichuanese Pepper Salt. After a quick trip to Trader Joe's for some favorite items, we also went to Artisano's for items such as Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 18 year old balsamic vinegar and the like. These purchases will allow Himself to expand the culinary creations that I am so lucky to have put before me.

The blogmeet was in a lovely alcove at a large round table that just fit the group. And we were a bunch that would have put Ye Olde Knightes to shame as far as pocketknives and multi-tools are concerned. The only folks who didn't have a pocketknife were those who flew in for the occasion. Some of us had multiples because two is one and one is none.

As always, the group was chock-full of knowledgeful goodness. At one point I looked at Uncle Jay, who was posed somewhat meditatively-- he just smiled and said "I'm learning." From a new non-blogging member who shall be known as Lurker 2--ETA--Lurker 2 is Don-- (Kerry is officially Lurker 1), we learned that there is a beautiful blue color at the middle of a fireball caused by a large electrical short; from Tam I learned that, like most great writers, just sitting down at the computer and writing is the first step (also that even if you have a Kindle, it does not preclude also buying books in the traditional paper format). Listening to Roberta talking shop was a definite eye-opener as well and a history lesson from Karl was enlightening as well. Old Grouch was anchoring the group as usual with a quiet smile and words of wisdom.

It was great to see Old NFO again--he's one of those people who you wonder if you'd met in a past life or something since I was instantly comfortable with him at the first blogmeet. Also some girl-time with Brigid is always a welcome thing--something that I don't get enough of. Uncle Jay was the impetus for this soiree and talking hot peppers and peppery-mishaps with him was fantastic (situations where actually clawing your eyes out seems like a viable option due to the crawfish spices or ghost pepper sauce being inadvertently introduced into them). Hopefully we can catch him on a flip-trip and spend some more time.

As always, a wonderful time that ends too soon, but at least we can keep in touch. Thanks to Roberta and Tam for putting it together again and to Uncle Jay for being the catalyst this time--couldn't have asked for a better early Christmas present.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Via The Gateway Pundit: A muslim cleric apparently thinks that women need to avoid phallic fruits and vegetables, lest they get impure thoughts. Their menfolk should cut items such as bananas, zucchinis, even carrots into small, non-phallic, bite sized pieces because they wouldn't want their women aroused by the mere sight of such prodigious produce. One wonders if perhaps the cleric in question is somewhat jealous of intimidated by the, ahem, immensity of these foods or feels inadequate in some way.

I'm guessing that he would expand this ban to include ice cream cones, or Rocket Pops, much to the dismay of the male population.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

I think the unions and the Dems are sensing the way the wind is blowing this next election cycle--and it's not in their favor. So they're going to the bag of dirty tricks. Fortunately it's early enough that maybe some of the damage they are trying to inflict upon the electoral process can be mitigated. Via Drudge, the NAACP is going to the UN (please, the UN?!?) to 'warn' about voter suppression specifically 'targeted at blacks and hispanics and to try to get the UN to intervene in US elections.

Their definition of "voter suppression": actually making people identify themselves in order to vote and/or cutting back on 'early voting', which was primarily put into place in order to facilitate voter fraud. In Texas, they also prohibit students from using their university ID cards to prevent them from voting in two places. The NAACP complains that students cannot use their college IDs but that people can use their handgun concealed carry permit--I guess forgetting that a background check and such often accompanies the acquisition of such a permit and in many states also has a picture of the person on it. Their logic is spurious at best and is disingenuous at worst since all of the measures about which they are complaining will help prevent voter fraud. But then they wouldn't be able to circumvent the electoral process, would they?

Sunday, December 4, 2011

So a group of muslims (I refuse to call them scholars) has studied up and decided that if women are allowed to drive in Saudi, then prostitution will soon follow and within ten years there will be no virgins in the country. Firstly, why most of the articles refer to these misogynistic POS' as academics or scholars is a mystery to me--they are no more scholars than the anyone who would cherry pick data in order to meet a meme. Secondly, there is really no mystery about why there would be no virgins left in Saudi--all of the women will be driving their shiny cars straight for the border and gone.

Of course these clerics are of the same ilk who jail women for being raped and whose only chance of leaving jail is to marry the person who raped them. When will the media wake up and see that the core values of these people is inimical to Western values??

Thursday, December 1, 2011

So on Long Island, twelve schools are having an epidemic of whooping cough. You know, one of those things against which kids are supposed to be vaccinated because it can kill them. Although some articles kind of dance around it, the main reason for the rise in this disease is because parents aren't vaccinating their kids because of the now-debunked, biased report that supposedly linked vaccinations to autism (apparently they'd rather listen to Jenny McCarthy than their physicians).

Now babies are dying because their older siblings aren't vaccinated and are bringing the virus home.

These are the same people that think that bringing mercury filled light bulbs into your house is actually good for the environment. No independent thought, no thought of the world around them.